Page 2446 - Week 08 - Thursday, 30 August 2007
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something about that”? There is no quality assurance. It takes pressure from the community before these sorts of things are attended to. Why is that? I suppose it is because the government likes to save what funding it has got or it just does not have it or it has misspent it. But for whatever reason, these essential maintenance programs are not being carried out on time.
For three consecutive years I have raised the issue of graffiti. I am not going to use the name of the particular graffiti artist, but he is famous the length and breadth of Athllon Drive, and he is still at it. (Second speaking period taken.) His tag is still up on public bridges and other government assets along Athllon Drive. Why have they never been able to catch this clever chap? It is because the government has no program other than to provide some funding to clean off some graffiti. Beyond that there is no other government strategy. Canberra is the federal capital of Australia and we should be taking pride in the cleanliness of its landscape, yet recidivist offenders continue to taint our landscape and we see little action to combat that.
Let us have another look at it. We have talked in this place before about a particular community art mural placed on a public bridge next to the Woden cemetery. Firstly, you have to ask: was not that a violation of standards? I am advised by engineers and ex-senior managers of TAMS that it must have been a violation of standards to allow any form of community art mural or graffiti art to be placed on a public bridge. So there is a violation of standards. Secondly—
Mr Hargreaves: Rubbish!
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Hargreaves!
MR PRATT: there was a violation of decency. Why would you or your authorities give approval, minister, for a spray-can painted piece of work to be placed on a bridge at the access to a cemetery, the main thoroughfare to a cemetery? It is a failure of standards due, firstly, to a lack of quality assurance; secondly, a lack of pride in the department and the minister to ensure that these things are cleaned up; and, thirdly, simple laziness. This is the federal capital. It is the showpiece capital of Australia and the government is failing to ensure that our urban landscape is clean and well maintained. I am now going to illustrate that, Mr Speaker. I seek leave to table a document.
Leave granted.
MR PRATT: Thank you very much. If you would like copies, the Clerk has copies on his table. I show you a government agency, Cityscape at Braddon. That is what it looks like. It is adorned with graffiti. I walk past that building often, and that graffiti is the same graffiti that was there three months ago. This is Cityscape.
Mr Mulcahy: What does it say on the sign?
MR PRATT: When you dig your way through the graffiti, Mr Mulcahy, it says “providing quality horticulture and cleaning services”. This is the government agency that provides cleaning services. This is the Stanhope vision for a clean capital city. Look at that. The prime agency required to assist in that aim is covered in graffiti, and
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